A hearty, musical "thank you!" to The Reed Foundation for the generous grant to the Midtown Concert series held at Saint Bartholomew's Church, Park Avenue. The FREE concerts are held every Thursday at 1:15pm and feature both established and emerging early music ensembles.

World of the HarpsichordWe just received some beautiful photographs from harpsichordist Alexandra Snyder Dunbar, director of the "World of the Harpsichord," a summer music program in Washington Heights. Also employing noted teachers/virtuosi Lisa Terry (viola da gamba) and Nina Stern (recorders and director of GEMS' S'Cool Sounds education program), Alexandra's program introduces young children to music and improvisation using historical instruments. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, S'Cool Sounds was able to underwrite full tuition scholarships for 10 children from the neighborhood.

Building on the success of the summer program, World of the Harpsichord is planning a week-long session during the public school break this February. The programs are held at the Holy Rood Church, which also hosts an extensive daily after-school program for neighborhood children. It too has a large musical component in addition to other activities in the arts and academics. Loraine Enlow, the conductor of the Washington Heights Choir School, is the energetic director. Nina Stern and S'Cool Sounds participate as well, with support from GEMS and the S'Cool Sounds donors.

By the way, the young men at the harpsichord in the pictures are not just fooling around. Alexandra often has them stand at the keyboard as they're learning. The young fellow at the right holding his peers' rapt attention is actually performing a piece by none other than C.P.E. Bach. Watch out, Justin Bieber!

Of Special Interest

Coming up right away on November 30th is the appearance of The Western Wind at Bargemusic. All of us interested in early music appreciate Bargemusic's Artistic Director Mark Peskanov's dedication to the genre at the Barge with his "There and Then" series. The venerable Western Wind ensemble devotes itself to two of the holidays in the season to honor the special occasion where Thanksgiving and the first day of Chanukah coincide. The last time this occurred was in 1899 and it will never happen again projecting to the year 9999! Join them for an unusual program in a unique venue, including traditional graces and hymns, a selection of Chanukah songs, and music by William Billings, Salamone Rossi, Heinrich Schutz, and Elliot Z. Levine.

Bargemusic's There and Then Series presentsThe Western WindBlessings and Miracles:
Music for Thanksgiving and Chanukkah
Music honoring both holidays with traditional graces and hymns, a selection of Chanukkah songs, and works by William Billings, Salamone Rossi, Heinrich Schutz, and Elliot Z. Levine.

Music on Madison! presentsMy Lord Chamberlain’s ConsortA Renaissance Christmas
Four centuries of seasonal music from Europe, including a 15th-century Magnificat; works by Antony Holborne, Henry Lawes, and Michael Praetorius; and excerpts from Playford’s Dancing Master.

Angelica, Women’s Chamber ChoirIn Merry Measure: Songs of the Season
Selections from the Play of Daniel, Carmina Burana, Yuletide pieces from the medieval and renaissance periods, and contemporary works.
with guests Rex Benincasa, percussion &
Jerry Celestino, guitar and lute

Play Loud! Chamber Music Festival presentsNew Vintage BaroqueThe Greatest Hits and Exploits of Don Quixote
A look at the cosmopolitan legacy of Don Quixote, performing works by composers from France, Germany, Italy, and of course, Spain.

TENET with Dark Horse Consort &
Bach Collegium San DiegoPraetorius: In Dulci Jubilo
Including many beloved works by Michael Praetorius and features rarely heard gems by some of his contemporaries including Hammerschmidt, Rosenmüller, Schütz, Scheidt, and Schmelzer.

Peak Performances presentsEast of the RiverDarkness is Your Candle
With a focus on the winter solstice, family, and new beginnings, the program explores music of the Mediterranean, Balkans, Armenia, and the Middle East, presenting the earliest songs of those extraordinary cultures.

The Play of DanielMary Anne Ballard, Music Director
Drew Minter, Stage Director
12th-century, fully-staged and costumed proto-opera, acclaimed by The New York Times as "a charming production of this austerely beautiful work".

The musette, a small French bagpipe popular in the 17th- & 18th-centuries, is characterized in a program featuring works by the Italianate Frenchman, Jean-Marie Leclair, the Italians Emanuele Barbella and Pietro Locatelli, and the obscure French composer, Clair-Nicolas Roget.